10 FILMS WE CAN’T WAIT TO WATCH AT THE 2026 VENICE FILM FESTIVAL

words by FRANCESCO PIZZUTI

There are few places that make cinema feel as alive as Venice. Every year, the Lido transforms into a playground for filmmakers, critics and cinephiles, where days blur into a marathon of screenings, conversations and the occasional sprint across the island to make it to the next premiere on time. Last year, it was so magical we almost forgot about the not-so-good weather. Now, we're ready to do it all over again.

With the full line-up finally here, anticipation is officially setting in. Between long-awaited returns from celebrated auteurs, intimate documentaries and some directorial debuts, the 2026 edition is shaping up to be very exciting. Here’s a selection of ten films already sitting at the top of our watchlist.

JOIE DE VIVRE
BY LUCA GUADAGNINO

image via @filmupdates on X

Only Luca Guadagnino could convince us that a seven-hour screening sounds like the perfect afternoon. Joie de Vivre is an expansive tribute to Bernardo Bertolucci, exploring the legendary director's life, work and lasting influence through conversations with filmmakers he inspired. Equal parts film history lesson and love letter, this feels like essential viewing for those of us who believe cinema can change the way we look at the world.

OASIS: DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER
BY DYLAN SOUTHERN & WILL LOVELACE

image credit: SIMON EMMETT

If you somehow escaped Oasis reunion fever, this documentary probably won't let you any longer. Featuring Liam and Noel Gallagher's first joint interviews in over 25 years, alongside never-before-seen rehearsal footage from the Live '25 tour, it feels intimate in a way we haven’t seen before.

COMPANY
BY CASEY AFFLECK

image via IMDB

Casey Affleck returns behind the camera with an ambitious drama that follows a mysterious traveller whose story connects three strangers across generations. Balancing grief, forgiveness and unexpected human connection, Company shows how it’s the small moments that reshape a life. Gothic and contemplative, it feels perfectly suited to the reflective atmosphere of Venice.

LOOK BACK
BY HIROKAZU KORE-EDA

image courtesy of K2 PICTURES

Hirokazu Kore-eda turns his attention to Tatsuki Fujimoto's beloved manga in this moving coming-of-age story. Following two young girls whose shared passion for drawing binds them together over thirteen years, Look Back explores friendship, creativity and loss. Bring tissues and prepare for a visually gorgeous and emotional watch; this one already has all the ingredients to become a festival favourite.

INK
BY DANNY BOYLE

image courtesy of VENICE FILM FESTIVAL

Trainspotting’s Danny Boyle's latest is an energetic dive into the birth of a revolutionary news publication, following the dreamers, outsiders and rule-breakers determined to reinvent journalism. With Boyle's trademark pace and visual register and our beloved Jack O’Connell, Ink promises a thrilling cinematic ride. Plus, a story about the circulation of information could be quite enlightening in these uncertain times.

BUCKING FASTARD
BY WERNER HERZOG

image via MUBI.COM

Starring the Mara sisters, Bucking Fastard follows a set of twins whose connection is so complete they move, speak, dream and even make mistakes in perfect unison. Strange, poetic and deeply philosophical, it sounds like exactly the kind of wonderfully unclassifiable film only Herzog could make.

LA RAGAZZA CON LA LEICA
BY ALINA MARAZZI

image credit: MANUEL ALBERTO CLARO

Arthouse filmmaker Alina Marazzi opens the Orizzonti section with an adaptation of Helena Janeczek’s novel that revisits the extraordinary life of pioneering war photographer Gerda Taro, beginning on the final day before she returned to the Spanish Civil War with her Leica camera. Spotlighting an artist whose story deserves to be remembered, the film honours a woman whose images changed photojournalism forever.

PRIMETIME
BY LANCE OPPENHEIM

image courtesy of A24

The Whale’s Lance Oppenheim has already shown a fascination with the surreal corners of American culture, and Primetime follows that direction with boldness. Revisiting Chris Hansen and the cultural phenomenon of To Catch a Predator, the documentary examines the conjunction of reality television, spectacle and morality at a time when all three feel incredibly relevant.

BIG LITTLE THINGS (HUANGYAN SHENGHUO)
BY MICHELLE ZHOU

image courtesy of MOEBIUS ENTERTAINMENT

Michelle Zhou's family drama begins with a seemingly harmless New Year's Eve lie before evolving into an intimate portrait of identity, expectation and love. When a young woman introduces a fake boyfriend to her seemingly perfect Chinese family, her girlfriend's unexpected arrival changes everything. A nuanced look at generational conflict and personal tensions between tradition and self-determination that feels incredibly universal.

QUEER EDWARD II
BY THEO ROLLASON

image via EYE FILM MUSEUM

Part historical documentary, part political reflection, Queer Edward II revisits Derek Jarman's radical 1991 adaptation through previously unseen behind-the-scenes footage. By placing the film within the context of Britain's queer rights movement, Rollason draws powerful parallels between then and now. It's a timely reminder that cinema and art at large are and always will be a space for resistance as much as storytelling.